AI-Empowered Mom

AI-Empowered Mom | Sarah Dooley

Parenthood is heavy. A digital world makes it heavier. AI for moms doesn't have to be complicated. Each week, host Sarah Dooley brings parents and caregivers real, grounded conversations about reducing mental load, navigating technology and social media with kids, and using AI tools to support family life without the overwhelm. From digital parenting questions to practical AI strategies for busy households, this podcast meets you exactly where you are. No hype. No pressure. Just calm, practical guidance for raising a family in a digital age.

  1. $49 How To Use AI For Your Job Search (and How Recruiters Use It Too) with Kate Crane

    1D AGO

    $49 How To Use AI For Your Job Search (and How Recruiters Use It Too) with Kate Crane

    If you have ever applied for a job and heard nothing back,there is a good chance AI screened you out before any human saw your name.   In this episode, Sarah sits down with Kate Crane, founder ofDirection Over Perfection and a former people leader at DoorDash, Flock Safety, and OpenTable. Kate has spent 10 years in tech hiring and managing teams, andnow coaches job seekers at every stage of their careers. She breaks down exactly what has changed in the hiring process, what you can do to work with it, and why human connection still wins in the end.   Whether you are in a search yourself, re-entering after timeaway, supporting a partner, or helping a young person find their next step, this one is for you.   WHAT WE COVER Meet Kate: preschool drop-off lifein Austin and what led her to start Direction Over PerfectionCareer gaps and nonlinear paths:what actually matters to employers right nowHow AI has changed recruiting fromthe inside outWhat an ATS (applicant trackingsystem) is and how it screens your resume before any human reads itWhere AI stops and humans takeover in the hiring processHow to build a master resume andtailor it with AI without losing your voiceThe prompting tip that keeps AIfrom stripping the detail out of your bulletsUsing AI to practice forinterviews without having to watch yourself on videoWhy applying is table stakes and networking is the real gameWhat an informational interview actually is and how to ask for one without feeling like a burdenVideo interview tips for a world where hiring happens on screenRe-entering the workforce after time away and what your caregiving years actually gave youThe shame that quietly follows job seekers and how to separate your emotions from your searchChatbot mode: Kate's favorite AI tools, resume red flags, and the best question to ask in any interviewA recent win worth celebrating anda human-powered pep talk  CONNECT WITH KATE DirectionOverPerfection.com First 30-minute consultation is always free.   CONNECT WITH AI-EMPOWEREDMOM Website: AIEmpoweredMom.com Newsletter: AIEmpoweredMom.beehiiv.com Email: contact@aiempoweredmom.com If this episode was helpful, a follow or review takes lessthan 30 seconds and helps other parents find this community.   KEYWORDS AI job search, AI hiring process, applicant tracking system,ATS resume tips, resume writing with AI, career coach for parents, job search for parents, informational interviews, re-entering workforce after caregiving, career gaps, nonlinear career path, job search shame, interview prep with AI,Direction Over Perfection, Kate Crane, AI-Empowered Mom, Sarah Dooley, AI tools for job seekers, career coaching podcast

    24 min
  2. #47 Self-Care Without Shame with Christine Landis

    MAR 20

    #47 Self-Care Without Shame with Christine Landis

    What if the real problem isn't that you don't have time for yourself, but that you've never been given permission to want it? This week, host Sarah Dooley sits down with Christine Landis, creator of Peacock Parent and Proxy, for one of the most honest conversations the podcast has had about self-care, mental load, and what your time is actually worth. Christine is a founder, a parent, a partner, and a self-described recovering workaholic who sold her fintech company, stopped, got quiet for the first time in years, and built something entirely new from that experience. What came out of it is a framework, and a tool, for parents and caregivers who are ready to stop doing it all alone. In this episode, you will hear: Why "I could do it myself" is the exact sentence keeping so many of us stuckWhat a weekly 50-minute planning appointment with your partner can actually unlockHow to identify your low joy tasks and start letting them go without guiltWhat opportunity cost really means when applied to your home life, not just your careerWhat burnout, resentment, and the "is this it?" feeling really have in commonWhy we delegate at work without guilt and so often resist it at homeWhy a recent Harvard Business Review study found women are slower to adopt AI, and what Christine thinks is the real reasonWhat Proxy is, how it works, and why it might be the thinking partner you didn't know you neededHow to start small: even texting "I feel overwhelmed and don't know where to begin" is enough Christine also talks about adult coloring as her current anxiety management practice, the Steamboat ski trip where she and her husband looked at each other through their goggles and just knew, and her daughter's upcoming birthday surprise: a pink castle mural painted on her bedroom wall. This is a warm, grounded episode for anyone who has ever canceled something for themselves to make room for everything else. TRY PROXY FREE FOR 3 MONTHS (a $450 value)Christine is offering the AI-Empowered Mom community three months of Proxy at no charge using the code SARAH. Here is how to get started: Visit https://proxy.peacockparent.com/purchase and select the 3-month plan and enter code SARAHComplete a quick 5-minute profileSave Proxy as a contact in your phone, like a new friendThen text Proxy anytime. Get personalized next steps so you can move on with your day. Note: credit card info is collected during setup, but you will not be charged with the code. You will receive notice 14 days before any renewal and can cancel anytime with no penalty. Find Proxy at https://proxy.peacockparent.com/purchase CONNECT AND SUBSCRIBESubscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.Join the AI-Empowered Mom newsletter for weekly, calm, practical support on reducing the mental load: https://aiempoweredmom.beehiiv.com/

    21 min
  3. #46 AI Fails and Fun Abroad: Traveling with AI and Dr. Caitlin Sutton

    MAR 13

    #46 AI Fails and Fun Abroad: Traveling with AI and Dr. Caitlin Sutton

    What happens when three adult sisters and their dad pack up their AI tools and head to Ireland to trace their roots? Spoiler: some of it is magical, some of it is genuinely terrifying, and all of it is honest. In this episode, host Sarah Dooley sits down with her sister, Dr. Caitlin Sutton, for one of the most personal and laugh-out-loud conversations the podcast has had. Caitlin is an obstetric, pediatric, and maternal fetal anesthesiologist who shows up for some of the most intense moments in families' lives. She is also a self-described non-planner who does not enjoy travel logistics and cannot drive on the left side of the road. Which made her the perfect travel companion for a trip where AI was doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Together, Sarah and Caitlin walk through the real AI wins and real AI fails from their family trip to Ireland, including itineraries that led them to storytelling caretakers and unexpected courthouse tours, a one-lane cliff road on the Wild Atlantic Way that was fully enveloped in fog, and the moment Sarah quietly put on her shoes in the backseat just in case things went off the rails. They also talk about how AI helped Caitlin figure out how to contribute to a trip she did not plan, the poem she wrote at their first pub, the playlist that kept everyone going on long driving days, and the car dealership visit where a quick AI check cut her bill by more than half. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt both grateful for and skeptical of AI at the same time. It is a reminder that AI does not have to be perfect to be useful, and that keeping a human in the loop, and a sense of humor, makes all the difference. Topics covered in this episode: Using AI for family travel planning, including itineraries, driving routes, and packing listsAI travel planning wins and fails, and what they have in commonHow to prompt AI better when planning a trip, especially with kids or specific travel preferencesWhat happens when AI underestimates the culture of a destinationUsing AI to lower the barrier to entry for people who do not enjoy planningHow Caitlin used AI to find her role on a trip she did not organizeImage generation with DALL-E and why Caitlin needed a very specific nesting dollWhy AI plus human curation is a more powerful travel team than either one aloneOpenEvidence as an AI tool in medical practiceUsing AI at the car dealership to review a service estimate in real timeThe mental load of trip planning and how AI can reduce it for caregiversWhat Ireland's storytelling culture taught this family about slowing down and staying presentSpring and summer travel planning with AI for familiesAphantasia, anesthesiology, and why friendly introverts make excellent colleaguesNew to AI and not sure where to begin? The AI-Empowered Mom free mini-podcast is a low-pressure place to start. Six short episodes designed for parents and caregivers who want to get started with AI without the overwhelm. Find it at aiempoweredmom.beehiiv.com/mini-podcast Want to keep the conversation going? The AI-Empowered Mom newsletter is a calm, grounded read for parents navigating AI at home and at work. No hype, no pressure, just practical perspective delivered regularly. Sign up at aiempoweredmom.beehiiv.com You can also reach Sarah directly at contact@aiempoweredmom.com and find everything at AIEmpoweredMom.com. If this episode made you smile or sparked a question, a follow and a review help other parents find us. It means more than you know.

    24 min
  4. #45 "I Just Got Copilot... Now What?" with Roger Campbell II

    MAR 6

    #45 "I Just Got Copilot... Now What?" with Roger Campbell II

    So you have Copilot at work. But you are just not sure what to actually do with it...   In this episode, Sarah sits down with Roger Campbell II, founder of Gemstack and the AI Business Foundry and one of the country's leading Microsoft Copilot adoption experts. Roger has a background that spans software engineering, coding bootcamps, and enterprise education. He spent years teaching others how to code and now helps teams and organizations actually use the AI tools they are already paying for.   The conversation starts with pickleball and ends with a parenting insight neither of them expected. In between, Roger breaks down what Copilot actually is, where to start without the overwhelm, what to watch out for, and why he believes knowledge is still the most powerful thing you can pass on to the next generation.   WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE:   [00:02] Opening: The Copilot-curious parent [01:02] Meet Roger: 10 nieces and nephews, pickleball, and life in Austin [02:47] How Roger became a Microsoft Copilot adoption expert [03:53] A non-traditional path into tech: Lyft, coding bootcamps, and teaching high schoolers to code [05:35] What Roger tells parents who worry about whether tech careers will exist for their kids [08:09] What Microsoft Copilot actually is and how it differs from ChatGPT [10:16] Where to start if you have Copilot at work: the email case [12:05] A surprisingly powerful use case: finding documents you could never locate [14:38] Can Copilot make sense for personal or family use? [19:08] What to watch out for: three tips for safe, responsible Copilot use [21:36] Advice for leaders rolling out Copilot: start with a problem, not a tool [24:09] Clippy is back: what Roger thinks about Microsoft's new AI character Mico [27:37] Why this work matters to Roger personally [29:04] Chatbot Mode: Word vs PowerPoint, one thing he would never hand to AI, and the myth about training data he wants to bust [36:36] A parenting aha neither of them saw coming: why enterprise AI might be the safest place for curious kids to start   FIND ROGER: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/MrRogerCampbell Website: AIBusinessFoundry.com   FIND SARAH AND AI-EMPOWERED MOM: Website and newsletter: AIEmpoweredMom.com Free mini podcast: Share your email at AIEmpoweredMom.com to get access to three short episodes on new ways to use AI.

    28 min
  5. #44 Something Big Is Happening: What This AI Moment Actually Means for Your Family with Greg and Danielle Neufeld

    FEB 27

    #44 Something Big Is Happening: What This AI Moment Actually Means for Your Family with Greg and Danielle Neufeld

    Something big is happening right now in the world of AI, in the words of entrepreneur Matt Shumer. And if you've had that low-level hum of "I should probably be paying more attention to this," you're not alone.   In this episode, host Sarah Dooley is joined by Greg and Danielle Neufeld, co-hosts of The Most Important Thing podcast and partners in life, parenting, and business. They're venture capital investors, parents of three young children, and two of the most thoughtful people I know when it comes to building intentional family culture. We had one of those conversations that felt like it just kept going somewhere richer around every corner.   We talk about: Why Greg compares reading about this moment in AI to the moment Tim Ferriss caught before COVID, and what that framing means for familiesThe concept of "cognitive patience" and how the Neufelds are building it in their kidsTheir family mission, vision, and values, including a cheer their four-year-old startedHow Danielle thinks about AI as a tool that actually supports her intuition as a momThe Neufeld family tech stack (including a Tesla full self driving (FSD) deep dive)And a beautiful closing thought from poet Kahlil Gibran that I think will stick with you This one is for any parent who wants to stay grounded while still staying ahead.   Find Greg and Danielle at tmitpod.com or wherever you get your podcasts.   Subscribe to the AI-Empowered Mom newsletter at aiempoweredmom.com for more practical, calm guidance on navigating technology as a parent.

    23 min
  6. #43 Setting Boundaries is Love with Dr. Julie Fernandes

    FEB 20

    #43 Setting Boundaries is Love with Dr. Julie Fernandes

    When was the last time someone asked what your favorite ice cream is and you actually knew the answer? In this episode, host Sarah Dooley sits down with Dr. Julie Fernandes, an occupational therapist, coach, and mom of three, to talk about what it really means to restore yourself after years of pouring into everyone else.   Julie brings her OT lens to family life in the most grounding way. We talk about why your home environment shapes your mental state more than you realize, how boundaries are actually an expression of love rather than control, and why setting clear expectations for your kids may be the most supportive thing you can do for your family right now. We also get into tech boundaries at home, how Julie uses AI as a practical tool (not a magic fix), and why she believes parents have far more influence than they give themselves credit for.   If you have been feeling stretched thin, disconnected from yourself, or unsure where your authority ends and your anxiety begins, this conversation is for you.   Topics covered in this episode: The flamingo analogy that explains why moms lose their glow (and how to get it back)OT-informed strategies for managing clutter, routines, and mental loadWhy boundaries are love, and how to set them without the guiltNavigating screen time and AI with kids in a thoughtful, age-appropriate wayHow AI supports Julie's family life in small, practical waysFinding yourself again in the middle of the motherhood season  Guest: Dr. Julie Fernandes | @juliefernandesco on Instagram Host: Sarah Dooley | @aiempoweredmom on Instagram

    28 min
  7. #42 AI is my Galentine with Alexandra Samuel

    FEB 13

    #42 AI is my Galentine with Alexandra Samuel

    What if the relationship that helps you navigate parenting isn’t with another person, but with AI? In this Galentine’s Day special episode, Sarah Dooley sits down with Alexandra Samuel,AI and workplace speaker, Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review contributor, and host of the Me + Viv podcast, to explore what it really means to build a relationship with AI. Alexandra shares her journey through what she calls “extra large parenting” as the mother of an autistic son, and how AI went from being a productivity tool to becoming Viv, her AI coach and companion. From creating personalized homeschool schedules in minutes to modeling lifelong learning for her kids, Alexandra reveals how AI can hold your hand while you hold theirs. This conversation challenges the idea that AI is just another tool. Instead, discover how building an intentional relationship with AI can reduce your mental load, support your parenting journey, and deepen your human connections. Topics discussed: What “extra large parenting” means and why work became Alexandra’s respiteHow AI transformed hours of homeschool planning into minutesThe evolution of Viv from custom GPT to full AI companionWhy parents need to co-learn AI alongside their kidsUsing AI to model lifelong adaptation and curiosityHow AI can deepen connection rather than replace itIf you’re curious about AI but unsure where to start, or if you’re looking for ways to lighten your mental load without adding more to your plate, this episode offers a fresh perspective on what’s possible. Subscribe to the AI-Empowered Mom newsletter for practical AI guidance that centers parents, not technology.

    30 min
4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Parenthood is heavy. A digital world makes it heavier. AI for moms doesn't have to be complicated. Each week, host Sarah Dooley brings parents and caregivers real, grounded conversations about reducing mental load, navigating technology and social media with kids, and using AI tools to support family life without the overwhelm. From digital parenting questions to practical AI strategies for busy households, this podcast meets you exactly where you are. No hype. No pressure. Just calm, practical guidance for raising a family in a digital age.

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